January 2015 Newsletter

January 2015 Newsletter

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the Tauranga Historical Society will be held will be held at the Brain Watkins hall at 2.p.m. on Sunday 1 February 2015. The agenda will include annual reports and election of officers.

We have had two members volunteer to accept nomination for the committee and more would be welcome. One has volunteered to accept nomination for the treasurer’s position so it is safe for you to come to the meeting as there will be no pressure on members to take that office.

Subscriptions remain the same as last year and your generous donations can attract a tax deduction as the Society is a registered charity.

HALL BOOKINGS – Phone Meri Low 544 4048

Monthly Meetings

5th April meeting   Speaker – Richard Hart – Flax Mills in the Te Puke area – As well as other sources, Richard has drawn upon the research of the late Alister Matheson who used to attend our meetings and was well known to many of the members.

Jazz in the Garden


Jazz in the Garden from 2.p.m. Sunday 1 March. This is the year for fans of swing music as we have the “Silvertones” playing.  There will be the usual house tours, afternoon tea, cake, plant and book stalls as part of our annual fundraising event.
Donations requested from members of cakes for teas and cake stall, items for the raffle baskets, plants, and books (no magazines). Pickup of goods can be arranged.

WW100

Fiona Kean reports on the Tauranga WW100 committee activities undertaken in 2014.

The committee and a small public group gathered on 4 August to mark the outbreak of WW1 at the Tauranga Memorial Domain Gates.

Lecture Series, Sons of Empire - Organised by the Tauranga Historical Society, Shirley & Stephanie, in conjunction with Waikato University, Nyree Sherlock. Each week presentations focused on delivering a unique New Zealand perspective of WWI: the voices of our soldiers, from the battles and the trenches to their legacy of literature; the diaries, the images and the poetry that remain. The series was so popular and well attended that a move to a larger venue was necessary.

Fields of Remembrance - The sight of so many crosses gathered together has prompted many people to stop and study the names of the fallen. The crosses will continue to be erected in different locations throughout the city during the centenary commemorations. Thanks to PlaceMakers for donating the wood and to Tauranga’s Mens Shed for constructing the crosses and to Paul for his organisation, Tauranga RSA, Tauranga Heritage Collection.

Children of WW1 Veterans Gathering  - Children born to Great War veterans were invited to be part of a gathering at the Mount Maunganui R.S.A in July of 2014. The event was organised by Tauranga WW100 and the Mount R.S.A who provided amazing hospitality, in particular the Women’s Division for the catering.

Cemetery Project - Thanks to the generosity of the community, and the organisation by Heather McLean, three veterans’ graves have been restored. Just over $1170 was raised with the majority of this being spent on the headstones, which were purchased through Veteran’s Affairs.

From Tauranga to the Trenches - mobile exhibition - The exhibition has travelled to public spaces in the city, several schools, and RSA venues. Many visitors have shared their personal family connections to the First World War, while teachers and students have welcomed the opportunity to discover how the war affected their local community. Thank you to Toni and the Hauraki Regimental Association, and WW100 Tauranga for their support of this Tauranga Heritage Collection project.

Web Presence, Kete and Facebook - Establishment of a facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/WW100Tauranga and presence on the Libraries Remembering War Kete http://tauranga.kete.net.nz/en/remembering_war Fascinating updates are made daily and an incredible resource is being created. Thanks to Debbie McCauley and Harley Couper from the Tauranga City Library.

ANZAC Day 2015 -  Planning is underway for the centennial ceremony to be held at the Tauranga Domain. Three committee members have already given considerable time to this and are working closely with the Tauranga City Council.